


First dates

by enjoymytrash



Category: Top Gear (UK) RPF
Genre: First Dates, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-09
Updated: 2019-10-09
Packaged: 2020-11-28 09:14:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,143
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20964092
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/enjoymytrash/pseuds/enjoymytrash
Summary: Richard agrees to a date with James.





	First dates

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: this is entirely fiction  
Any feedback is greatly appreciated

Richard wasn’t gay. At least he didn’t think he was. It wasn’t something he had ever considered. He had certainly never pictured himself with another man, however, when James asked him out, he found himself saying yes.

“How many did you have to drink, Hammond?” Jeremy asked when he found out after work that night. Richard hadn’t intended on telling him, but he also wasn’t one for keeping secrets from his mates, so when Jeremy asked him if he had any plans after work, he told him he had a date. /fucking hell/ he’d said. /James has a date too. It’s like two are going out without me/ to which Richard replied /yeah we are actually/.

“I wasn’t drinking,” Richard said, “I had no reason to say no. He’s my friend, we get on well, we already know each other well. So I said yes.” Richard pulled his car keys out of his pocket and made an effort to fiddle through them.  
“Those are all reasons to say no. You are actually crazy, Hammond. I don’t understand that little mind of yours.”  
“I think I’m glad about that.” Richard decided that was time to end the conversation before he heard something he didn’t want to, and he got in his car. He saw Jeremy yell something as he drove off.

Richard had agreed to meet James at the restaurant at 8:30, but his good-natured dating habits made him arrive early, pulling into the car park at 20 past. He thought about waiting in the car for a few minutes to not seem too keen, and of course knowing that James never arrives on time, until he realised that he had naturally pulled up beside James’ fiat.  
Inside he found James at the bar. Richard decided to stay just inside the door, unsure how the approach that man that had always been one of his closest friends. James was chatting away to the bartender, a girl who seemed far too interested in James considering he was about twice her age. He had clearly made an effort, his shirt was ironed and his hair was brushed. To anyone else that might not sound like much, but Richard knew that that was James’ peak of self-care.  
James turned around, leaving the bartender to make the drinks, and saw Richard loitering by the door.  
“Richard!” James called, beaming at him.  
“Blimey, you’re early,” Richard replied, approaching him. He wasn’t sure if he should hug him, kiss him, shake hands, or a pat on the back. So he didn’t. Neither did James.  
“I like to impress,” he said, a shy smile on his face.  
Before Richard could reply, the bartender brought over two drinks and announced “Mr May, your table is ready for you now, would you like to follow me?”

Sitting at the table, James handed Richard one of the two drinks. “Your favourite.” He smiled.  
“Thanks-” Richard had to stop himself from calling James /mate/.  
“Have you had a chance to look at the menu yet?” The bartender asked.  
“Could you give us a few more minutes? Thanks” Richard buried his nose into the menu, not actually reading the words on the paper.  
Before long, Richard could no longer stew in the silence. “So what did you think of the new Audi today?”  
James put his menu down. “I don’t want to talk about work.”  
“Okay,” Richard sipped his drink for something to do, silently praying for the waiter to come and take their order. “What are you going to have?”  
“I was thinking fish. You?”  
“Are you ready to order?” The waiter appeared, another lady who appeared much less interested to be here.  
“I’ll have the steak, medium please.” Richard passed her his menu.  
“Can I have the cod with a salad? Thank you.” James copied Richard’s actions.  
The waitress nodded and left with the menus.  
“So…” Richard fumbled for a conversation starter.  
“I don’t think I have ever seen you quite so awkward.” James laughed lightly.  
“Hey!” Richard replied defensively. “I’ve been a lot worse on dates before.”  
“Go on then, what was your worst ever date?”  
“Oh that’s easy,” Richard finally felt himself starting to loosen up. “I think I was about 16 and it was going well, but when I went to kiss her goodnight I was so nervous I threw up on her front porch. Her mum dropped me home.” Richard still blushed at the memory.  
“That is bad!” James laughed.  
“It’s safe to say I never saw her again,” Richard chuckled.  
When they both contained their laughter, Richard asked “what about you? What was your worst date?”  
James cleared his throat. “I, er- I invited a guy out for a drink, and he, well, he ended up inviting all our mates along.”  
“Oh no!” Richard cringed. “Oh dear. Do you know why he did that?”  
“I assume- I hope- that he didn’t realise it was a date.” James looked into his drink.  
“That’s quite funny.” Richard chuckled. “But did you still have a good night?”  
“I did actually. Jeremy got drunk and bought me a new watch because, and I quote, I’ll never get any with that dinosaur on my arm.”  
Richard looked puzzled. “I don’t remember that, was I there?”  
“Yes,” James said. “It was the last day of filming this year.”  
“Oh yeah…” Richard said in sudden realisation. “It’s been what? Three weeks? And my head still hurts a bit. I think I’m getting a bit too old to drink so much.” He rubbed his head in memory, causing James to let out a slight laugh. “So what happened with this guy?” He raised an eyebrow at James.  
“I spent three weeks building up my courage and asked him out again. Properly.” James said sheepishly.  
Richard looked at his friend. He could feel the puzzle pieces starting to come together in his brain. “You…”  
“Okay I have the steak?” The waitress announced to the table. Richard raised his hand in reply. “And you must be the cod?” She said to James. “Can I get you any sauces?”  
“Just ketchup please,” Richard answered.  
Once Richard thought the waitress was safely out of earshot, he tried again. “You said it was an end of series celebration.”  
“Well, yes, but…” James blushed.  
“Oh.” Richard picked at his chips, suddenly not so hungry. “Would you like one?”  
“I shouldn’t,” James replied, “but it’d be rude to decline.” He bit into the chip. “Mmmm these are good!” He said, mouth still half full.  
“You should have ordered them,” Richard agreed.  
“I’m trying to be good,” James confessed.  
Richard furrowed his eyebrows. “Why?”  
Picking at his side salad, James said “I want to look nice.”  
“You don’t need a salad to look nice,” Richard said, shovelling more chips in his mouth.  
“No?” James raised his eyebrow at him. “What do I need then?”  
Richard thought for a brief moment. “Two more beers please!”

Half an hour later Richard was giggling over the dessert menu, his second and third beers starting to take affect. “Go on, James. Get a dessert. I don’t want to eat alone.” Richard pleaded. “Please? For me?”  
“How can I say no to that?” James grinned, almost as tipsy as Richard.  
“Just what I like to hear! Excuse me?” He called. “We would like to order the /bit of everything/ dessert platter please, to share.”  
“Am I going to regret this?” James laughed as the waiter left.  
“Have I ever made you regret anything before?”  
“Yes,” James replied. “There was the time we flew to London and you criticised me the whole way, and the time where you-“  
“Okay, Okay! I didn’t need examples!”  
“You can be a twat sometimes, Richard, but-” James looked into his remaining drink.  
“But what?” Richard enquired.  
“Nothing.” He smiled at him.  
“You know,” Richard said, “I think that’s the first time I’ve been called a twat on a date without them storming out.”  
“I won’t ask.”  
“Better not.” They smirked at each other.  
“Your dessert gentlemen.” The waitress laid the plate between them. “Enjoy!”  
The second the plate landed on the table Richard immediately dug into the brownie bites on his side of the plate, scooping as much as he could into his mouth. “Oh god this is gorgeous, you have to try this!” And without a response from James, he took another spoonful and held it out to him, poking James’ mouth with the spoon until he ate the food off of it.  
James tried to quickly but politely eat the brownie so he could smile at his date, however he couldn’t wait long enough and instead caused Richard to laugh at the small chocolate remains stuck between his teeth.  
“Beautiful,” Richard commented, causing James to blush a bright shade of pink. “James?” Richard waited for him to finish his next mouthful. “Why did you ask me out tonight?”  
“Well…” James thought, “I- er- I got bored of, well, of being alone, I guess, and so I thought to myself, who do I know who is single, who I can tolerate?”  
“Careful, James, you’re almost giving out a compliment there,” Richard teased.  
James smirked, “I never actually expected you to say yes.”  
“I like to surprise.” Richard replied, finishing off his half of the dessert. “Would you like to go for a walk after this?”  
“I know the perfect place.”

After paying the bill, James lead them to an abandoned area of grassland a few miles north of the restaurant.  
“I hope you know the area, James, because if Jeremy brought me here, I’d fully expect to never make it home alive,” Richard said, following James over a fence.  
“Trust me,” James replied, walking down something which didn’t quite qualify as a footpath.  
After a couple minutes walking, the thorny bushes on either side of the path opened up to reveal an open grassland, blanketing the peak of a slight hill. James took his jacket off and laid it on the ground, gesturing for Richard to sit.  
Richard did as he was told and from where James had positioned him, there was a beautiful view of a small pond at the foot of the hill and a backdrop of twinkling city lights in the distance.  
“Not bad,” Richard complimented. “How did you find this place?”  
James lowered himself onto the other side of the make-shift picnic blanket. “Some things are best kept a secret.”  
They stayed there for several moments in silence, shoulders pressed together, watching the scenery. Richard felt the closeness of his friend, wondering if they had ever sat so close before. He thought about resting his head on James’ shoulder, and if he did that, would James put his arm around him?  
“Wait for it.” James gestured towards the sky above them.  
Within the next few seconds the wind broke a gap in the clouds, one by one, revealing the entire universe above their heads.  
“Okay, I’ll give you this one, that is beautiful,” Richard said in awe of the brightest night sky he had ever seen in London.  
“Isn’t it just?” James smiled at the shorter man.  
As their silence returned, Richard thought of this new situation he had ended up in. James’ attempt of asking him out before, James’ jacket they were both sitting on, the flirtatious way they shared their dessert, and how he’d be happy to do it all again. He finally gave in to the urge and rested his head on James’ shoulder. “James?” He asked, not taking his eyes off the stars. “What was the real reason you asked me out tonight?”  
“What I told you before is true,” James replied.  
“I know that,” Richard snuck a glance at him, “tell me the rest of the reasons why.”  
James admitted defeat. “Well, for a while now, I’ve found myself attracted to you, and I finally thought, it’s worth trying, right? Worst case scenario, it’ll be an awkward conversation for a few days. Best case scenario, I’ll end up with an amazing man for a boyfriend.”  
Richard nodded in reply, hoping the darkness would hide his blush.  
James cleared his throat. “Why did you agree?”  
“I kind of want to know what it’d be like to do this,” Richard replied, closing the gap between them and stealing a kiss from James.  
“And?” James said, after Richard pulled away, still caught slightly off guard.  
“Eight out of ten, would try again,” he teased.  
James leant in this time for a slightly longer and expressive kiss. “What about now?”  
“Nine out of ten.”  
James kissed him again.  
“Okay, ten,” Richard said, only pulling out of the kiss long enough to get his words out.

They don’t know how long they stayed sat on the small hill, talking, cuddling and kissing. All they did know at that time, is it would be something they would be doing again.


End file.
